Limassol Municipality has finalised the results of the previously announced tender for the reconstruction of Heroes' Square.
On Monday 5 August, Mayor Yiannis Armevtis signed the contract with Christou Christou, head of Christou Constructions, the company that won the tender.
The renovation of the public space is expected to start as early as October and will take about 18 months to complete. The total budget for the project is €3.9 million (including VAT). The money to make this important idea a reality has been provided by the European Regional Development Fund.
We need a centre with fewer cars, so we are actively working in that direction. After the reconstruction, the Heroes' Square and its surroundings will be completely pedestrianised, - said the Mayor.
It should be recalled that the project for the reconstruction of the square, which is very popular with the residents of Limassol, was developed by the architectural firms AA&U and KIS Architecture. Their idea won the second place in the 2020 competition (the first place was not awarded to any of the participants).
The idea is to level the road and the square. Public spaces will be created around four pavilions at the corners of the square. Trees and shrubs will be planted along the perimeter of the square. The lighting will be in the form of hinged lanterns and all the fixed lanterns will be moved to the western side of the square.
The central monument of the square will also be included in the overall image. Once a month, the "Square of Everyday Heroes" campaign will take place here. The monument will be decorated with a removable fabric cover with a theme-related image. Thanks to the new pavements, the public will have direct access to the historic streets of Independence, Agios Andreas and Gladstonos, as well as to the area of the Municipal Library.
Heroes' Square is located in the centre of Limassol and is a popular meeting place for locals.
In the centre of the square is a monument to the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of Cyprus and Greece. It is surrounded by cafes, bars, taverns and clubs, as well as the buildings of the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK) and one of the city's cultural centres, the Rialto Theatre. The square is the traditional venue for carnival processions and the Limassol Rock Festival, as well as other cultural events in the city.
Until the early 20th century, the square was the site of a Turkish quarter called 'Kesoglides' or 'Kessugludkia', after the local wealthy Syrian Turkish landowner Kioseoglu (Κιοσέογλου). Christian townspeople were afraid to come here for fear of being stoned. In 1910, on the initiative of the mayor's office, several old buildings were demolished and a square was built in the neighbourhood. The monument to the heroes was erected in 1946. The last reconstruction of the square took place in 1999.
